Baltimore City (MD) Family Recovery Program

This is a substance use treatment program for parents who have been estranged or lost custody of their children. In addition, other topics are discussed with the parents, such as employment, housing, and parenting practices, with the goal of reuniting them with their children.
The program consists of treatment with individual and group counseling; relapse prevention; integration into self-help groups; provision of preventive and primary medical care; general health and nutrition education; training in parenting skills and education to prevent domestic violence.
Other support services are integrated, such as mental health care, transportation, housing assistance, and case management support. Services are tailored to the needs of parents who are in crisis and require intensive and ongoing treatment and services.

Impact evaluations

An impact evaluation showed that children whose parents attended the program spent significantly less time in foster care. Parents entered treatment programs for alcohol or drug abuse more quickly and completed the program more often than the parents in the control group, who did not receive the intervention [1].
There was no statistically significant effect on the number of children who returned to their parents’ care compared to the other families in the control group. However, in the case of parents who regained custody of their children, the legal process was quicker [1].

Bibliographic reference

[1] Burrus, S. W. M., Mackin, J. & Aborn, J. A. (2008). Baltimore City Family Recovery Program (FRP) Independent Evaluation: Outcome and Cost Report. Portland, OR. Office of Problem-Solving Courts (Annapolis, MD). https://npcresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/Baltimore_City_FRC_Outcome_a…

Information source

Crime Solutions